Cohocton Wind Watch is a community citizen organization dedicated to preserve the public safety, property values, economic viability, environmental integrity and quality of life in Cohocton, NY and in surrounding townships. Neighbors committed to public service in order to achieve a reasonable vision for a Finger Lakes region worthy of future generations.

Friday, October 28, 2011

A federal appeals court has rejected the Federal Aviation Administration’s ruling that the Cape Wind project’s turbines present "no hazard" to aviation, overturning a vital clearance for the nation’s first offshore wind farm.

A decision Friday from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said the FAA didn’t adequately determine whether the planned 130 turbines, each 440 feet tall, would pose a danger to pilots flying by visual flight rules.

The court ordered the "no hazard" determinations vacated and remanded back to the FAA.

It also ruled that if the FAA found the project posed aviation risks, the U.S. Interior Department would likely revoke or modify the lease granted Cape Wind - the first granted to a U.S. offshore wind project.

The decision signals further delays for the project, which has struggled to find financing.

Risks of Industrial Wind Turbines is a group of citizens and organizations dedicated to preserve the public safety, property values, economic viability, environmental integrity and quality of life of residents and future generations.